ESS 101 LABORATORY 2 PLATE TECTONICS
AND THE ROCK CYCLE FINAL PAPER 2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ sedimentary identification. Answer: fossils, layered, made up of
grains, soft or crumbly
◉ metamorphic identification. Answer: wavy, steaky, or folded
layers, dense, hard, unusually colorful
◉ energy sources for plate tectonics. Answer: latent heat from
formation of earth (kinetic energy into heat) and radioactive decay
in the core and mantle
◉ how is heat released from the mantle?. Answer: via plate tectonics
in the form of volcanoes
◉ lithosphere. Answer: brittle upper mantle including the crust;
rides on top of the aesthenosphere
◉ aesthenosphere. Answer: ductile part of the mantle below
lithosphere and above the mesosphere
, ◉ mantle. Answer: below crust and above the outer core, place of
convection (some slabs sink to outer core)
◉ where does convection take place?. Answer: upper mantle
◉ why is continental crust generally higher up than oceanic?.
Answer: oceanic crust is more dense, also allowing it to subduct
(causing its substantially younger age in comparison to continental
crust)
◉ James Hutton. Answer: From Scotland (UK), first hypothesized
formation of Earth was slow (uniformitarian) not catastrophic
(catastrophism) as was then believed, suggesting Earth was old with
gradual changes (the Earth was still changing)
◉ Alfred Wegener. Answer: From Germany, proposed Pangea and
drifting apart of continents
◉ This type of rock is made from eroded materials. Answer:
Sedimentary
◉ This rock type is generally the densest. Answer: Metamorphic
AND THE ROCK CYCLE FINAL PAPER 2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ sedimentary identification. Answer: fossils, layered, made up of
grains, soft or crumbly
◉ metamorphic identification. Answer: wavy, steaky, or folded
layers, dense, hard, unusually colorful
◉ energy sources for plate tectonics. Answer: latent heat from
formation of earth (kinetic energy into heat) and radioactive decay
in the core and mantle
◉ how is heat released from the mantle?. Answer: via plate tectonics
in the form of volcanoes
◉ lithosphere. Answer: brittle upper mantle including the crust;
rides on top of the aesthenosphere
◉ aesthenosphere. Answer: ductile part of the mantle below
lithosphere and above the mesosphere
, ◉ mantle. Answer: below crust and above the outer core, place of
convection (some slabs sink to outer core)
◉ where does convection take place?. Answer: upper mantle
◉ why is continental crust generally higher up than oceanic?.
Answer: oceanic crust is more dense, also allowing it to subduct
(causing its substantially younger age in comparison to continental
crust)
◉ James Hutton. Answer: From Scotland (UK), first hypothesized
formation of Earth was slow (uniformitarian) not catastrophic
(catastrophism) as was then believed, suggesting Earth was old with
gradual changes (the Earth was still changing)
◉ Alfred Wegener. Answer: From Germany, proposed Pangea and
drifting apart of continents
◉ This type of rock is made from eroded materials. Answer:
Sedimentary
◉ This rock type is generally the densest. Answer: Metamorphic
